The number of survivors after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy has been increasing due to recent progress in medical system and care. Impairment after injury ranges from mild memory deficit to vegetative state or death. Cognitive impairment is particularly common in the survivors, because the hippocampus and medial temporal lobe are vulnerable to ischemic insult. Medication and cognitive rehabilitation should be initiated to minimize the impact of various cognitive deficits. Instead of Glasgow-Pittsburgh Cerebral Performance Categories, which is insensitive to functional change, standardized functional assessment tools should also be used in research as well as in rehabilitation settings.
Brain Injuries ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain* ; Memory Disorders ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Persistent Vegetative State ; Rehabilitation ; Survivors ; Temporal Lobe

The endocrinologic complications such as adrenal insufficiency and hypopituitarism are common after traumatic brain injury (TBI) portending poor rehabilitation outcome. Anterior pituitary dysfunction presents as hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, growth hormone deficiency, adrenal insufficiency and hyperprolactinemia, whereas posterior pituitary dysfunction includes syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone and central diabetes insipidus. Careful history taking and physical examination are essential to detect these abnormalities early. Laboratory tests such as serum/urine sodium and osmolality, thyroid hormone, testosterone, estradiol, cortisol, prolactin, growth hormone or IGF-1 are also necessary. Screening of endocrinologic functions is recommended especially in patients with moderate or severe TBI, skull base fracture or diffuse axonal injury 3 to 6 months after injury. Further studies are needed to reveal the effect of early correction of endocrinologic abnormality on long-term functional outcome.
Adrenal Insufficiency ; Brain Injuries ; Diabetes Insipidus, Neurogenic ; Diffuse Axonal Injury ; Endocrine System Diseases ; Estradiol ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyperprolactinemia ; Hypogonadism ; Hypopituitarism ; Hypothyroidism ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Mass Screening ; Osmolar Concentration ; Physical Examination ; Prolactin ; Skull Base ; Sodium ; Testosterone ; Thyroid Gland ; Treatment Outcome

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of long-term physical and psychological disability and death. In patients with TBI, undernutrition is associated with an increased mortality rate, more infectious complications, and worse neurologic outcomes. Therefore, timely and effective nutritional therapy is particularly crucial in the management of TBI to improve patients’ prognoses. This narrative review summarizes the issues encountered in clinical practice for patients with neurotrauma who receive acute and post-acute inpatient rehabilitation services, and it comprehensively incorporates a wide range of studies, including recent clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), with the aim of better understanding the current evidence for optimal nutritional therapy focused on TBI patients. Recent CPGs were reviewed for 6 topics: 1) hypermetabolism and variation in energy expenditure in patients with TBI, 2) delayed gastric emptying and intolerance to enteral nutrition, 3) decisionmaking on the route and timing of access in patients with TBI who are unable to maintain volitional intake (enteral nutrition versus parenteral nutrition), 4) decision-making on the enteral formula (standard or immune-modulating formulas), 5) glycemic control, and 6) protein support. We also identified areas that need further research in the future.

Little is known about the benefits of statin use on liver cancer mortality among patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) considering hypercholesterolemia and obesity. A nationwide retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from a Health Examination Cohort of the National Health Insurance Service of Korea. Data on CHB patients with no other concurrent liver disease were acquired, and statin use was defined as a cumulative daily dose ≥28. A 3-year landmark analysis was performed to avoid immortal time bias. Patients who started statin therapy within the landmark date were considered statin users. A Cox regression analysis was applied to assess associations between statin use and liver cancer mortality considering hypercholesterolemia and obesity. Among 13063 patients, 193 (1.5%) died of liver cancer during the mean follow-up period of 10.6 years. After adjusting for demographic and metabolic factors, statin use [hazard ratio (HR), 0.17; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.04–0.70] and hypercholesterolemia (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.24–0.88 for total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dL) were associated with a decreased risk of liver cancer mortality, whereas body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m² was associated with an increased risk of liver cancer mortality (HR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.20–5.06). This study showed that statin use was associated with decreased liver cancer mortality when adjusting for cholesterol levels and BMI. This study found that hypercholesterolemia was independently associated with decreased liver cancer mortality regardless of statin use.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Body Mass Index ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cholesterol ; Cohort Studies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Neoplasms ; Liver ; Mortality ; National Health Programs ; Obesity ; Retrospective Studies

Human papillomavirus(HPV) has implicated in the development of cervical cancer. Several studies has suggested a strong correlation between HPV 16, 18 and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN). For detecting and typing HPV DNA in cervical tissues, recently the chemiluminescent molecular hybridization assay method has been widely used. This study was performed to determine the usefulness of hybrid capture assay for detecting high-risk HPV in cervical epithelial cells, and to compare the correlation among cervical cytology, biopsy finding and HPV infection, and to determine whether the addition of the hybrid capture assay to cytologic test would improve the ability to identify significant lesions. This study included 267 patients who visited the colposcopic clinic of the department of obstetrics and gynecology, Chonbuk University Hospital from May, 1997 to October 199S. Pap smears hybrid capture assays, and colposcopically directed biopsy were performed concurrently on al1 women. The results obtained were as follow; l. Using hybrid capture assay, the detection rate of high-risk HPV of all patients was 37.1%(99/267). There was no statistical significance in the detection rate of HPV between the age groups. 2. The false negative rate of Pap Smear was 53.3% and showed significant discrepancies between the cytologic and histologic diagnosis. 3. According to the cytologic diagnosis, the detection rates of high-risk HPV were 7.1% in normal, 25.3% in ASCUS or LSIL, and 61.6% in HSIL. In each cytologic group, the patients who had positive results for high-risk HPV showed higher incidence rate of high grade lesions than those with negative results(P<0.05). 4. According to the histologic diagnosis, the detection rates of high-risk HPV were 0.1% in normal, 11.1% in CIN I, and 72.7% in CIN II or CIN III. In each histologic group, the patients who had positive results for high-risk HPV showed higher incidence rate of high grade lesions than those with negative results(P<0.05). 5. According to the comparison of histologic diagnosis between positive and negative results of high-risk HPV test due to each cytology, there was no statistical significance in the incidence rate of cervical neoplasia, Above results suggest that high-risk HPV test using hybrid capture assay may be a useful method in supplement the pitfalls of cervical cytology. This test might also have prognostic value in the management of patients with CIN.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Epithelial Cells* ; Female ; Gynecology ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Human Papillomavirus DNA Tests* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jeollabuk-do ; Obstetrics ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

OBJECTIVE: To investigate compliance with a viscosity-modified diet among Korean dysphagic patients and to determine which factors are associated with compliance. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients who had been recommended to use thickeners in the previous videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS). Among 68 patients, 6 were excluded because tube feeding was required due to deterioration in their medical condition. Finally, 62 patients were included in the study. Patient compliance was assessed using their medical records by checking whether he or she had maintained thickener use until the next VFSS. To determine which factors affect compliance, the relationship between thickener use and patient characteristics, such as sex, age, inpatient/outpatient status, severity of dysphagia, aspiration symptoms, follow-up interval of VFSS, and current swallowing therapy status were assessed. For noncompliers, reasons for not using thickeners were investigated by telephone interview. RESULTS: Among 62 patients, 35 (56.5%) were compliers, and 27 (43.5%) were noncompliers. Eighteen (90%) of 20 inpatients had followed previous recommendations; however, only 17 (40.5%) of 42 outpatients had been using thickeners. Of patient characteristics, only admission status was significantly correlated with compliance. When asked about the reason why they had not used thickeners, noncompliers complained about dissatisfaction with texture and taste, greater difficulty in swallowing, and inconvenience of preparing meals. CONCLUSION: Among Korean dysphagic patients, compliance with a viscosity-modified liquid diet was only about 50%. Betterments of texture and taste along with patient education might be necessary to improve compliance with thickener use.
Compliance* ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diet* ; Enteral Nutrition ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Medical Records ; Outpatients ; Patient Compliance ; Patient Education as Topic ; Retrospective Studies ; Telephone

This retrospective case series included five patients who underwent surgical resection of the cervical anterior osteophyte due to dysphagia. Videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSSs) were performed before and after surgery on each patient, and kinematic analysis of the video clips from the VFSS of a 5-mL liquid barium swallow was carried out. Functional oral intake improved after surgery in 3/4 patients who had required a modified diet before surgery. Kinematic analysis showed increases in the maximal hyoid vertical movement length (13.16+/-5.87 to 19.09+/-4.77 mm, p=0.080), hyoid movement velocities (170.24+/-84.71 to 285.53+/-104.55 mm/s, p=0.043), and upper esophageal sphincter opening width (3.97+/-0.42 to 6.39+/-1.32 mm, p=0.043) after surgery. In conclusion, improved upper esophageal sphincter opening via enhancement of hyoid movement after cervical anterior osteophyte resection may be the kinetic mechanism of improved swallowing function.
Barium ; Deglutition Disorders* ; Deglutition* ; Diet ; Esophageal Sphincter, Upper ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone ; Osteophyte* ; Retrospective Studies